The disclosure relates generally to combustion devices, such as wood burning stoves, fireplaces or other heating appliances, and ventilation systems, such as a flue and associated components, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to a device, system and method for heating a portion of a ventilation system that may be part of a combustion device.
Combustion devices, such as wood burning stoves, fireplaces or other heating appliances that burn fuel, are commonly used to provide heat to a home or other building. Such combustion devices are commonly attached or connected to a ventilation system, including a flue. As used herein the term “flue” refers broadly to a passageway that takes combustion gases or exhaust from the combustion device to the venting system, which communicates with the outside air. Thus, it will be appreciated that a flue may be a part of a chimney or any ventilation system that is used in conjunction with a combustion device.
A common problem associated with combustion devices connected to a flue is that smoke or other combustion gases often escape from the combustion device into the room that the combustion device is located in instead of exiting through the flue. This problem is due to cold air located inside the flue, having a greater density than the air in the room. This density difference results in smoke or other combustion gases not being able to displace the more dense or heavier air in the flue, such that the smoke or combustion gases are not able to be drawn upward through the flue and outside. Once the flue is heated sufficiently, the smoke or combustion gases are then able to be drawn upward through the flue and outside.
The smoke or other combustion gases often provide an unpleasant odor in the room creating an annoyance for owners of homes or other buildings that use combustion devices. There is a long felt, but unmet, need for a device, system and method that is relatively inexpensive to make and simple in operation that will prevent the above stated problem of smoke or other combustion gases escaping from the combustion device into the room.
The devices, systems and methods known in the industry may be characterized by several disadvantages that may be addressed by this disclosure. This disclosure minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, at least some of the failures and other problems, by utilizing the structural and functional features of the devices, systems and methods described in this disclosure.
The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.